From
The MercantourPark to the Mediterranean:
Comparison of the GR5 to Nice vis-à-vis the GR52 to Menton
To recapitulate, depending upon the routes you have taken, you
could be either in the town of Boréon on the GR52, or in Saint Dalmas-Valdeblore on the
GR5. But which route to the Mediterranean should you take?
Because it is the end of "The GR5", and because from Valdeblore the GR5 takes three days (17.5 hours) less than the GR52 (or from Boréon on the Balconies of the Mercantour Route it takes two days - 12 hours less), and because the GR5 has much less vertical elevation to negotiate (i.e., it is easier), many walkers will be tempted to end their journey at Nice. Enough of this hardship on the trail!!!, they may say.
Lac du Basto, Valley of Marvels on the GR52
 I recommend, rather, that you strongly consider taking the GR52 variant to Menton. The are two good reasons: First, nowhere on the GR5 is there any terrain like the Vallée des Mervilles (Valley of Marvels)— a sort of moonlike, thunderbolt-struck area more desolate than anywhere else in France. (Unfortunately, much of the famous prehistoric rock art in the Vallée Des Merveilles has been defaced or washed away, or is hard to find. If you are interested in seeing many of the engravings, I suggest planning for this in advance by arranging for a guide with the Refuge des Merveilles.)
The second reason is that the last day's descent from the Alpes to the Mediterranean Menton is literally "unforgetable". At a distance of 3.5 kilometers (2.1 miles) from the Mediterranean your elevation still is 1,090 meters (about 3,600 feet). The drop of the mountains from there is steep and the view is gorgeous, up the Mediterranean coast to Monte Carlo and beyond. Asyou descend, views are constant. At lower elevations you pass through attractive countryside, then lovely villas with subtropical vegetation, and finally you come down the last few steps—to a beautiful sand beach.
Do be aware, however, that you may not encounter other hikers on the trail from the Marvels Valley to Sospel, nor on the next day on parts of the trail to the Mediterranean, particularly in mid-summer when local people consider it too hot for hiking; solo hikers should think carefully before undertaking this part of the GR52. Also, the steep descent from the Col du Berceau above Menton to the Plan de Lion is mostly among loose rocks on the trail, and will possibly take the careful walker double the book time of 30 minutes..
By contrast, the descent to Nice on the GR5, which the author has also made, is very gradual. Views are limited. You reach sea level before you reach the Mediterranean, so you finish by a long and somewhat boring walk through mundane sections of the city of Nice. The "beaches" of Nice are of pebbles. To summarize, the last day of your GR5 trip is pleasant, but not memorable.
Both Nice and Menton are on the main Riviera train line. Nice also has an international airport. There is also a very inexpensive bus line along the coast, but road traffic barely moves forward along the Riviera coast during the summer.
The GR5 from Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore to Nice
Aspremont Village, a 3 hours'
walk from the coast at Nice.
 Assuming
you take the easier choice, the next day, your fourth day from Bousiéyas
(and 5th from Larche), will bring you as far as St. Dalmas-Valdeblore.
GR 52 branches off here if you age going to
Menton.
The GR5 from Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore to Nice
Your final nights on the GR5, are spent in
the charming tiny hill town of Utelle, an 8 hours' walk; and then
in Aspremont, another 7 hours' walk (though you could stop in the
less charming Levans, after 5 hours. A final short day of 3 hours from Aspremont or 5 hours
from Levans takes you to the Mediterranean coast in downtown Nice. It is 7 days total from Larche, not counting nights in Larche or Nice.
The official routing for the GR52
from Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore to Boréon:
If you are taking the GR52 to end your trip, as I hardily recommend, from Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore, where the GR52 splits from the GR5, it takes —according to the FFRP topoguide— 7 hours and 20 minute to arrive at Boréon, the next town with lodging—a lovely little resort on a lake with hotels, restaurants and a gite d'étape. It also has a refuge for wolves. Most likely, it will be your 6th day out of Larche. Or you could have taken my special route, described on a previous page.
From Boreon to the Valée des Merveilles on the GR52
From Boréon the lodgings are spaced as follows: Madone de Fenestre (guarded CAI refuge) 4 hours (an extra 1 1/2 hours by the Col de Fenestre variation); from Madone de Fenestre to the Refuge "Nice" 3 1/4 hours; from the Refuge "Nice" to the Refuge des Marveilles, 4 1/2 hours.
It is your choice whether to take 3 days or only 2 days (as my group did) from Boréon to reach the Refuge des Mervilles. Consider combining the first two days into one, not staying in Madonne de Fenestre (but definitely visiting the church), and rather pushing on to the Refuge Nice. Definitely do get a very early start each day, because this country is very hot and exposed at midday (and cold at night). Carry extra water.
How
to handle the 2,000 meter (6,600 foot) descent from the Valley Des
Merveilles to Sospel
An escape route from the GR52, which my easygoing friends took, leads eastwards from
the Refuge des Mervilles: A two-hour downhill walk leads to the
train station at St. Dalmas-de-Tende. From there trains run to Sospel
(and to Nice). If you bypass the GR52 descent, do by all means stay overnight in
Sospel and walk the final day to the Mediterranean at Menton.
Sunrise, Hiker and Lake de la Muta, Valley of Marvels.
 Start
at the crack of dawn, so you won't spend too much time in the heat.
You will be walking roughly 35 kilometers (21 miles) over 8 1/2
hours. Carry extra water. This is a ridge walk, and there are
no drinking water sources.
Watch your walking technique: Don't bang your legs down, and don't
keep your knees straight. Use your quadriceps to cushion your steps.
Tread as lightly as you can. (My hiking companion—who was stronger
than I —ran down many slopes jumping from rock to rock. As
a result, he couldn't walk the next day, and very sadly, his knees were
never as good afterwards). By all means, use shock-absorbent innersoles,
and use trekking poles to help cushion your steps.
Pas du Diable (Pass of the Devil).
The Mediterranean is somewhare out there in the distance.
 An
hour and 1/4 from the Refuge Des Mervilles lies the Pas du Diable
(Pass of the Devil) at 2,346 meters (about 7,700 feet). Sospel,
your destination, is at 350 meters. (1,100 feet)!!!
If your knees bother you, consider taking the 11/2 hour detour
to the hotels at the Col de Turini (5 hours from the Refuge Des
Merveilles). It is less than one-half way down to Sospel.). If you
do take this detour, to get back on the GR52, take the GR52A to
Moulinet, followed by a spur leading eastwards.
Dirt! Grass! Mediterranean Flora!
 Otherwise,
just keep plugging away. It is a memorable day. The flora changes
as you drop in altitude and approach the Mediterranean. The walk
though long, is never boring.
Sospel is a very interesting village astride the Bevera River;
it was Italian even a century ago. There are hotels and a gîte
d'étape..
The
Final Day of the GR52: The fantastic Decent to the Mediterranean
The main point about this day is: Don't miss it. From the
river in Sospel there is a 740 meter (2,400 feet) climb to a pass
at 3,300 feet, a descent of 700 feet, and another 1,000 foot climb
back to 3,600 feet. This takes 4 1/2 hours not counting stops. This last pass lies
only 3 1/2 miles from the Mediterranean coast. As you descend, a mile from the water you are still at 600 meters (2,000 feet)!
 As
the ground falls away, the views are never to be forgotten. You
can see up the coast to Cap-Martin, Monte-Carlo and beyond, as well
as down to Menton and the turquoise blue Mediterranean.
Know in advance that your descent will not be easy; initially it is very steep and strewn with rocks for the first 300 meters vertical of the descent.
It takes 2 1/2 to 3 memorable hours—excluding multiple photo stops— to walk from the pass down to the
Mediterranean. About one-half way down, make a slight detour up
to the ridge on your left where you can see into Italy.
Once in Menton, among pennants and flags, walk onto the beach,
and dip your toes in the Mediterranean. You have earned it! Spend
an extra couple of days on the Côte d'Azur!
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